The source, who happens to be a victim of the scandal, provided SMN News with a copy of a letter they claim was bought from the main suspect two days before the police and detectives arrested her, for the sum of $500.00.
The victim who is scared of the consequences of their actions, said the main suspect was paid $500.00 at her home for a letter signed by project co-ordinator Evelyn Hodge that is addressed to the head of the Labour Department Mrs. Smits-Rombley, falsely claiming the victim had submitted a request for a Brooks Tower Category 2 (first application) residence permit. The letter also bears a stamp of the Korps Politie, St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius, which no longer exists. It appears that someone also stole that police stamp, which is yet to be disclosed by the current police organization. The letter was also backdated to December 29th 2010.
According to the victim, arrangements were also made to purchase a job letter and contract from three women of Spanish decent that operate "The Soldiers of Jesus Christ Foundation" a Pentecostal church located in the Garden of Eden in Dutch Quarter, for the sum of $1000.00. In addition, the victim was also supposed to pay the US$900 work permit fee from their own pocket. The victim said they did not have the money to immediately pay for the job letter and contract which state that they will be employed by the church. The church of course had no intention of actually employing the victim. It was purely a scam to obtain a work permit under false pretexts.
The fraudulent part of this letter is the fact that it was bought in the middle of January, long after the BTA process was closed, but was back dated to 12/29/2010, to falsely show that the application process was started before the BTA process ended in December 2010.
According to the victim, they were supposed to take the letter they purchased from the chief suspect, along with the bogus job letter and contract to the labour department, but since they were not able to come up with the $1000.00 to pay for the other two documents, the file could not be submitted to the labour department. The victim said that even though five people were arrested and an investigation is ongoing the church is pressuring them to pay the $1000.00 and continue with the process.
A copy of the letter the main suspect allegedly sold to the victim is posted below. For the protection of the victim's identity their name has been removed from the letter.
Fraudulent BTA Letter
